Session Beers Are Gaining Steam

Session Checkers

Session beers (not to be confused with saisons) are often associated with the pale and tasteless, and have—until recently—remained relatively untouched by the craft beer community. NPR reports that sessions (beers under 5 percent ABV) are seeing a renaissance as an alternative to the craft beer’s alcohol-heavy darlings, and as a viable pairing with food.

In fact, sessions offer an opportunity to focus on taste. Chris Lohring for Notch Brewing insists, “a session beer needs to have some flavor. It needs to entice you for that second pint.”

More breweries are rising to the occasion. Founders Brewing brews an All Day IPA (4.7 percent) and Sierra Nevada a Nooner (safe for lunch!) that clocks in at 4.8 percent. And the lower-alcohol trend is by no means restricted to beer: lower alcohol wines own summer, while low ABV cocktails—like the Rome With a View— dominate early evenings. [NPR] [Image: Flickr/Thomas Cizauskas]